The circuit carrier provided in an appliance is usually designed in the form of a so-called printed circuit board assembly. This is understood to be a printed circuit board populated with elements of an electronic circuit. The elements may include, in particular, indication elements (e.g. light emitting diodes, etc.), setting elements (e.g. potentiometers and switches, etc.) and also connecting elements (e.g. male strip connectors or terminals, etc.). Moreover, the printed circuit board assembly is often electrically conductively connected to separate elements arranged in the housing, such as e.g. connecting terminals and further electronic components, etc.
A simple, in particular easily automatable mounting of the circuit carrier in the housing is desirable in order to lower production costs. On the other hand, the circuit carrier must be positioned exactly and as far as possible without any play in the housing in order to allow for the setting and connecting elements to be readily accessible from the housing exterior, or to allow for the indication elements to be readily visible through corresponding housing openings or housing windows.
In conventional appliances of this type, the circuit carrier is often pushed into a rigid housing guide in which it is fixed after assembly of the housing. With a rigid guide, however, a play-free mounting of the circuit carrier is technically impossible to realize or realizable only with difficulty.
DE 42 43 656 A1 discloses a carrier material fastening device in which the carrier material can be brought to its final mounted position by pressing away a holder with compliant parts laterally with respect to the mounting device and can be fixed in the position by snapping back the holder between it and a chassis supporting claw. The carrier material can be separated again from the chassis by exerting a lateral pressure on the holder.
DE 196 30 173 A1 discloses a power module having a module lamina which, in order for it to be fixed mechanically, is pressed against an insulating ceramic area by a housing. Further, in order for it to make electrical contact with printed circuit boards, it is acted on by separate rotary contact springs mounted in the housing.